Cricket: Igglesden makes a mockery: Paul Bolton reports from Edgbaston

Kent 603-8 dec; Warwickshire 121-5

KENT clearly do not subscribe to the theory that you should never kick a man when he is down.

Warwickshire, still disorientated by their latest internal upheaval, were in need of sympathy, but Kent buried them under an avalanche of runs and unwanted records.

Kent's total of 603 for 8 declared was their highest against Warwickshire and the highest by a visiting county at Edgbaston this century, while Warwickshire's decline to 121 for 5 left them facing the prospect of a three-day defeat and missing out on a share of the Championship prize-money.

It would be a disappointing end to Andy Lloyd's five-year reign as captain. Last week Warwickshire decided to replace him with Dermot Reeve and although Lloyd initially intended to step down after Friday's win at Lord's he was persuaded to bow out at Edgbaston.

In the event a groin strain forced him to hand over power yesterday and it was an inauspicious start to Reeve's captaincy career as Warwickshire were afflicted by autumnal apathy.

Carl Hooper, 95 not out overnight, took a further nine overs in a rain-shortened morning to become Kent's third century maker of the innings before he nibbled a catch to the stand-in wicketkeeper, Dominic Ostler.

Warwickshire's attack lacked penetration and, with the help of two dropped catches, Graham Cowdrey threatened to become the fourth centurion - a feat Kent last achieved four years ago - but he confused the statisticians by clipping a catch to Keith Piper, the regular wicketkeeper, who was nursing a bruised finger at third man.

Kent's declaration left Warwickshire needing 454 to avoid the follow-on but Alan Igglesden made a mockery of that target by taking all five wickets to fall for 34 runs.

Andy Moles, Trevor Penney and Roger Twose went in Igglesden's first five overs and the tall seamer returned to wreak further havoc by bowling Ostler and Reeve in the space of three balls to complete his third five-wicket haul in the past month.